Think Dangerously

8 Days a Week…

Hell yes. The director of the Oregon Hops & Brewing Archives, Tiah Edmunson-Morton, is leading a downtown walking tour that’ll connect with “Corvallis’ beer, past and present.” The tour itself is about two hours and will include four stops at downtown breweries, as well as the Corvallis Brewing Supply. Join in at any stop—though you should totally do the whole thing! For info or to RSPV, contact edmunsot@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-7387.

Holy crap. Sharon and Dave Thormahlen hitting the harp, guitar, and mandolin with some originals and tunes from a number of different cultures. Dave makes all the instruments you’ll hear himself. Then at 8:30 p.m., Wild Hog in the Woods, “the wildest, foot-stompingest, funnest string band around” (all totally true) will be playing. Coffee, tea, cookies, and gluten-free cookies are available. For info, contact mjweiss@cmug.com.

I’m told that Slow Burn and the Shady Bunch “pack about as much party into an hour as the Surgeon General will allow.” Paired with fine young rockers Run the Risk, this is a balance act you’ll want to roll around in and then never shower again. For info, visit bombsawaycafe.com/music-art/.

Yak Attack + WUPS. Cloud & Kelly’s Public House, 126 SW First St., Corvallis. 9:30 p.m. $7. Don’t let the small amount of text here fool you: these are two of the best live bands in the area, and will music your face off HARD. Check out https://yakattackpdx.bandcamp.com/ and https://wups.bandcamp.com/. For info, visit cloudandkellys.com/music_and_nightlife/.

Saturday, May 27

Free Noise Show. Interzone, 1563 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. 6:30-10:30 p.m. Free. Music lovers and artists, pay attention: These shows are a must-see. I’ll stake what mediocre reputation I’ve got in the arts community here on it. Featuring experimental music from the Pacific Northwest this time around, but the lineup changes and there’s always something to be surprised about. Absolute hidden gem. For info, visit https://www.facebook.com/corvallisnoise/.

What’s $15, you can drag your family to on Sunday, and includes a hike, educational activities, and more? Well, this thing. This thing right here. Wild Walkabouts start at 12 p.m., and the hike portion will be led by local naturalists overflowing with experience and knowledge.

For its size, Corvallis’ arts community is overflowing with talent. Adding to that, there’s some great public art to be enjoyed. If you hop on this free tour, you’ll be treated to a variety of works around the downtown area. Led by Greg Wilson and Carl Metz, the tour is about an hour and a half.

This class looks like a great point of entry for new photographers, and an equally great opportunity for veterans. They’re offering “an understanding of basic photography composition while learning about the birds that live at Cooper Mountain Nature Park.” Everyone loves birds, right? I mean, not the ones that start going off at 3 a.m., but the rest of them. The class will start early to capture the best light of the day. Got a DSLR worth more than a car, or just a cell phone? Everything, everyone, and all skill levels are welcome. For info or to register, visit oregonzoo.org/events/nature-through-different-lens.

Memorial Day Concert 2017. LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis. 7-9 p.m. Free. A community ensemble formed in the spring of 1970 by residents of Albany, the Willamette Valley Concert Band held its first performance at the Albany Spring Music Festival. The group’s purpose is, in their own words, “to further the cultural environment of the community; to provide entertainment for the general public at concerts and other performances; and to offer the members an opportunity for personal self-expression through the medium of music.” For info, visit lasells.oregonstate.edu/event/memorial-day-concert-2017.

Another great author event at Grass Roots! From the press release: “With boots-on-the-ground trail data from one of Oregon’s most experienced hikers, Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon breaks down the state’s more than 450 miles of the PCT into manageable sections. Author Eli Boschetto details everything a section hiker needs to know, including access, camp-to-camp mileage, and best places to stake a tent, from the rolling grasslands of the Soda Mountain Wilderness to the barren volcanic plains of the Central Cascades to the doorstep of Oregon’s tallest peak, Mount Hood.” If there ever was a guidebook on the topic, this is it. Great chance to meet the mind (and feet) behind it. For info, visit grassrootsbookstore.com.

With this group, death is done right. Whether you’ve got thoughts about mortality, or have lost a loved one, you can feel free to show up and share judgement free. This is not a support group, and it’s not therapy. There’ll be no debate, social action, religion (or anti-religion), or agenda. Just speak and listen in a welcoming atmosphere. Hell, there’ll even be tea and cake. For info, visit www.facebook.com/groups/deathcafecorvallis or email deathcafecorvallis@gmail.com.

Show up, grab some provided art supplies, and go at it. “Activate the artist inside without having to retreat to a mountain hut, living off the land in ascetic destitution for years,” they say. I’d honestly kill for a vacation like that, but point well taken. Art is about community, anyway. Toss the stereotype and find your inner artist! For info, visit bombsawaycafe.com/music-art/.

Curious as to what awesome stuff OSU’s music production folks are doing? Be curious no more. Well, continue to be curious… just not after you go and listen, because then you’ll know. You can’t just stop being curious for no reason. For info, visit cloudandkellys.com/music_and_nightlife/.

Did you now that Cloud & Kelly’s hosts a comedy night every first Thursday of the month? Now you do. And also, now you know it’s really good. Because I just told you. Also, it’s Cloud & Kelly’s, which makes it pretty obvious. (Have they ever had a bad show of any kind? Honestly.) For info, visit cloudandkellys.com/music_and_nightlife/ or facebook.com/CloudAndKellys/.